TD's brings holiday cheer with Giving Tree
The Giving Tree at TD’s Sports Bar in Elkader sits surrounded by presents for those in need.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
“Hopefully, this brings warmth and joy to everyone this holiday year,” Chelsea Armstrong, owner of TD’s Sports Bar in Elkader, said of the idea behind the establishment’s Giving Tree, currently surrounded by gifts for those in need from a community that thrives on supporting each other.
It was an idea Armstrong had even before owning TD’s, when a Facebook post caught her attention. The thought stuck with her, so this year, for the first time, she put the idea into action.
Armstrong has teamed up with RISE LTD and the Elkader Care Center, two organizations that are close to her heart from previous work experience and because of the residents.
“I have worked with both companies and have seen the great things they do. I also have a soft spot in my heart for these two organizations, as I really love the clients and residents at both places,” she said. “So the clients and residents hold a special place in my heart.”
The personal connection provides a sincerity to the proceedings. It began with getting lists of what people from the organizations needed, then painstakingly handwriting each card, labeling it with a number to keep it all anonymous, then hanging each card from the Giving Tree. It will end with Armstrong delivering the gifts.
To promote the Giving Tree, Armstrong relied on Facebook, ads in the paper and on KCTN. After that, “it was in everyone else’s hands,” and those hands did not disappoint, she said.
“The public response and participation were great. I had lots of shares on Facebook. Cards were picked off within a week to a week and a half. The community was so great about getting in,” Armstrong said. “I had messages on Facebook for those who were unable to get here to grab a card or community members coming in just to give a card. I was so happy that they were gone as fast as they did. This shows how great our community can be.”
The items on the cards, according to Armstrong, were either things the people want or need, without restrictions. When the cards were chosen, the person could then decide to purchase all of the intended list or just some of the items.
The fact that all the cards were taken so quickly came as a surprise, but then again, understanding the community, it really shouldn’t have. Elkader is a giving community, and Armstrong is a giving person, represented by the fact that, if the cards were not all taken, she personally would’ve done the shopping.
As she said, “I wanted to be sure everyone on the tree got something…[because] the goal in the end was to just give back to others, and try to put a smile on someone’s face.”
While this is the first year Armstrong has done this, there are plans to do it again next year and, hopefully, the response and commitment to community will still be as strong.
This year, Armstrong “hopes this benefits and means something to everyone involved from the person that gave the gift, to the person who received the gift. It’s a demonstration of love and support from those who they may not even know.”
